Do you speak Chinese in the training hall?

[Tames D]

Is speaking Chinese required in your training hall during class. In San Soo, my experience has been no. Not required. But I did pick up a little bit of the language from others that I trained with over the years (but please don't test me

).

While training in TKD, knowing the Korean terms was required. During classes I was required to know and speak the basic terrminology.

So what's been your experience regarding the language?

 

[Xue Sheng]

I do on occasion, but I am the only one in class that does (my Sifus are both from China, as is my wife, and I am trying to learn the language) but it is not required. It has never been required by any Sifu I have ever trained with in CMA and all but 2 have been form China. It would have been required by a XIngyi sifu I chickened out on training with, but then it was the only language he spoke.

 

[clfsean]

We do, but that's beause our federation president is Chinese & found it's easier to keep everything one language. So he chose his native Cantonese.

Keeps it simple when calling forms, names, techniques, stances, etc... for the fu.

 

[Tames D]

We do, but that's beause our federation president is Chinese & found it's easier to keep everything one language. So he chose his native Cantonese.

Keeps it simple when calling forms, names, techniques, stances, etc... for the fu.

I'm not a total traditionalist when it comes to Martial Arts but I kinda like that.

 

[Jade Tigress]

We count our exercises and drills in Chinese and had to be able to count in Chinese up to 20 for my last test.

 

[Changhfy]

We generally use Cantonese terminology during all the classes.

But as for speaking I have to stick with what I learned when I was a kid which is Mandarin, my Cantonese is only so so.


take care,

 

[mib2112]

I try to when doing forms and counting during exercises. I see it as a means of paying respect to the spirits of the masters before me.

My style originally used a dialect of Cantonese, but my Master said to learn Mandarin if I wanted to persue learning the Chinese language, as Mandarin is more commonly spoken here in the States. And the written is the same regardless, so if I met someone I could not speak with, I could still write them notes.

 

[Steel Tiger]

I don't require my students to speak Chinese even though I do, on occassion, use Mandarin terms. Learned from my teacher who learned from his so we all have something of a Sichuan accent.

 

[Rabu]

Yes.

Mandarin is spoken in the class. Counting, stances, movements...sets...

We all try to learn as we go. Understanding the language and its root meanings adds to understanding to the intent of the style.

Regards,

Rob

 

[Tames D]

Yes.

Mandarin is spoken in the class. Counting, stances, movements...sets...

We all try to learn as we go. Understanding the language and its root meanings adds to understanding to the intent of the style.

Regards,

Rob

I would have liked to seen more of this in my classes over the years. I could possibly be more fluent in Chinese as a result.

 

[Sorros]

When I took Chinese Kempo,the tracy brothers system. We spoke english.
When I took judo we spoke Japanese. We often thought these strange words some how had some mystical meaning to them. When actually
translated they ment things like, arm lock, foot throw, side throw.
I think some times the language hinders learning.

 

[clfsean]

With any American created MA, it makes sense that English is spoken.

In judo or anything from Asia, it makes sense to learn it with the technique & descriptors in that language. There are a bunch of reasons, but IMHO I'll hit the high points in my book:

* Continuity
* Portability
* Respect
* Negating "Lost in Translation"

On continuity -- You don't rename what's already named. You don't apply a new label to something that is already adequately named. If it wasn't adequate, it would've been named differently earlier on.

On portability -- You can train in other schools of the same art & everybody's on the same page. I can go to any other CLF school in the world and if the sifu calls (for example) "gwa choy sei ping ma, sow choy ding ma, chop choy sei ping ma", I know exactly what to do & how. It doesn't matter if I'm in China, Russia or the Bahamas, the cohesive glue of the same language used for teaching makes portability a non-issue. The Judo you mentioned would be the same. Go to any judo club in the world & everybody calls the techniques the same name.

On respect -- The head of our organization is Chinese... his teacher was Chinese... his was... etc.... It'd be one thing if this was his creation & he decided to use language "X", but it's not. It's a 200(+/-) year old CMA from China. Chinese was spoken when it was developed & first taught in China, so it should be too now. For example common example would a restaurant.
You go to a French restaurant, you want to see "Es'cargot" not "Snails" or the like.

On Negating Lost In Translation -- There are words that have a specific meaning or value in their native language that when translated, loose something. Something here. There are feelings, or energies that go along with certain names that can't adequately be described or are described with 20 minute lectures. I don't know about y'all, but I don't have time in my class to lecture for 20 minutes about a chaap choy. I say it, demonstrate it on the air & a target, give a brief explanation & go. Why try to fix it if it ain't broken?

 

[Sorros]

Good answer never really thought of it that way.

 

[CatNap]

We don't at my schools, but then I study Cantonese and Mandarin so I'm not too concerned about it. I try and learn the proper Cantonese term with the correct character whenever I'm able.

 

[Xue Sheng]

I study Cantonese and Mandarin

That right there DESTROYED my learning Chinese 10 years ago. I got so only 1 person could understand anything I said and he was a native Cantonese speaker, English and Mandarin Teacher. My Brain just couldn't handle it to many differences :erg: . You are MUCH better than I if you can pull that off. :asian:

I now just study Mandarin but I am developing a big Beijing Accent.

 

[funnytiger]

With any American created MA, it makes sense that English is spoken.

In judo or anything from Asia, it makes sense to learn it with the technique & descriptors in that language. There are a bunch of reasons, but IMHO I'll hit the high points in my book:

* Continuity
* Portability
* Respect
* Negating "Lost in Translation"

On continuity -- You don't rename what's already named. You don't apply a new label to something that is already adequately named. If it wasn't adequate, it would've been named differently earlier on.

On portability -- You can train in other schools of the same art & everybody's on the same page. I can go to any other CLF school in the world and if the sifu calls (for example) "gwa choy sei ping ma, sow choy ding ma, chop choy sei ping ma", I know exactly what to do & how. It doesn't matter if I'm in China, Russia or the Bahamas, the cohesive glue of the same language used for teaching makes portability a non-issue. The Judo you mentioned would be the same. Go to any judo club in the world & everybody calls the techniques the same name.

On respect -- The head of our organization is Chinese... his teacher was Chinese... his was... etc.... It'd be one thing if this was his creation & he decided to use language "X", but it's not. It's a 200(+/-) year old CMA from China. Chinese was spoken when it was developed & first taught in China, so it should be too now. For example common example would a restaurant.
You go to a French restaurant, you want to see "Es'cargot" not "Snails" or the like.

On Negating Lost In Translation -- There are words that have a specific meaning or value in their native language that when translated, loose something. Something here. There are feelings, or energies that go along with certain names that can't adequately be described or are described with 20 minute lectures. I don't know about y'all, but I don't have time in my class to lecture for 20 minutes about a chaap choy. I say it, demonstrate it on the air & a target, give a brief explanation & go. Why try to fix it if it ain't broken?

I agree with everything you've said here, I just wanted to say congrats on the book endeavor!

- ft